More charges filed in September high-speed chase in Erie

An Erie man accused of leading police on a high-speed pursuit around the city in September is heading to trial on more charges in the case.

Anthony Fischer, 19, waived his preliminary hearing before Erie 6th Ward District Judge Dominick DiPaolo on Thursday after state police and prosecutors amended the criminal complaint against him to add eight other charges, bringing the total charges to 14. The charges include a felony count of fleeing police, a misdemeanor count of recklessly endangering another person, and summary counts of speeding, reckless driving and illegal racing.

Fischer is free on nonmonetary bond.

State police initially filed six charges against Fischer, of the 4000 block of Balboa Avenue, in the Sept. 6 incident. He is accused of speeding away from troopers who tried to stop his 2002 Honda Civic in the northbound lanes of Interstate 79, at the West 26th Street exit. The car was one of five drag racing on I-79, police said.

Fischer fled east on West 12th Street at speeds that reached 108 mph, according to case documents. Police said Fischer went through at least one red light and drove the wrong way on French Street. Some vehicles were forced off the road, and several pedestrians were nearly struck by the car, according to investigators.

Police lost sight of the Honda but later spotted it on West 26th Street near Sigsbee Reservoir. They eventually called off the pursuit for safety reasons but got the Honda's license plate and used it to identify Fischer as the driver.

Fischer later turned himself in to state police in Lawrence Park. He admitted to drag racing other vehicles before the pursuit, according to the criminal complaint.

TIM HAHN can be reached at 870-1731 or by e-mail. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ETNhahn.